Los Angeles Police Officers Charged with Filing False Report in DUI Case

Two Los Angeles police officers face perjury charges after allegedly lying about a DUI arrest. According to a news report in the Los Angeles Times, the officers were charged at the downtown criminal courthouse in Los Angeles. The two officers, ages 39 and 56, face charges stemming from an incident that occurred on September 4, 2010. One officer stated in a report that he made a traffic stop after watching a motorist disregard two stop signs. Two years later, officials say that the officer did not even arrive to the scene until 15 minutes after the traffic stop and that the other officer lied at a hearing about observing the incident. The veteran officers face up to four years and eight months in prison for perjury.

According to California Penal Code 118: “Every person who, having taken an oath that he or she will testify, declare, depose, or certify truly before any competent tribunal, officer, or person, in any of the cases in which the oath may by law of the State of California be administered, willfully and contrary to the oath, states as true any material matter which he or she knows to be false,” is guilty of perjury.

This report is an illustration of the lengths to which officers may sometimes go to prove a criminal case. A DUI conviction, particularly, could have serious consequences for defendants who are wrongfully charged. An individual convicted of a DUI could face consequences including jail time, DUI fines, mandatory alcohol education program, and court fees.

The reputed Calabasas drunk driving defense attorneys at Sitkoff & Hanrahan have a proven track record of successfully handling these types of cases and getting wrongful charges dismissed. If you have been accused of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, please contact us at (866) 430-8383 for a no-cost consultation.